Paroo satellite snaps anger Murray-Darling farmers

New satellite images show big storage dams and water diversions along the Murray-Darling Basin's last free-flowing river, the Paroo, in apparent breach of a moratorium designed to save the waterway.

The images indicate a breach of a five-year-old agreement with the New South Wales and Queensland governments, which was supposed to halt future development on the Paroo.

Farmers are angry and want the Commonwealth to intervene.

The Paroo stretches 600 kilometres from Queensland across to New South Wales.

The 2001 moratorium included a specific ban on the building of water diversions and dams and was hailed as a deal to protect the dying Murray-Darling basin.

To check on the river, scientists have used powerful satellite imagery normally used by the Defence Department.

"They clearly demonstrate that there's been development on the flood plain after the moratorium in June 2001," Professor Richard Kingsford from the University of New South Wales said, which has been involved in the monitoring.

"The Queensland Government's assured us that basically they've approved structures because they were built before that date.

"But our imagery quite clearly shows that we could only find three storages and essentially there are a whole lot of channels there that have been built post-2001 and this essentially breaches that agreement."

One snapshot, taken a year after the moratorium in 2002, shows there was no development.

Another image taken in June this year shows storage dams and more than 10 kilometres of channels diverting water for irrigation.

Robert Bartlett, a third generation grazier living on the Paroo, says this could devastate the unique waterway.

"This might be the first of more developments and the Paroo is certainly unique and recent reports from the MDBC (Murray-Darling Basin Commission) show that of the 23 valleys in the MDB, the Paroo is the only one in good condition," Mr Bartlett said.

"So I think we should always use the Paroo as the yardstick on how rivers can be preserved and maintained in good condition."

The Queensland Government however has defended its position.

It says it gave approval to nine storage dams but insists they were built before the moratorium.

Amy Hankinson, from the Inland Rivers Network, says it is clear existing protection has failed and it is time the Federal Government intervenes to save what is left.

"We need a national approach and framework to making sure that rivers not only in the Murray-Darling but across Australia are properly protected, otherwise we will continue to have these sorts of problems arising and our environment eroding away," she said.